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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502236">Taking Care</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Babylon 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Biology, Blood, Gen, Minbari, Piercings, Worker Caste, Worldbuilding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:35:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Worker caste Nindra is always on the hunt for new fashion trends, even if they include getting holes drilled into her crest because hey, piercings are cool! Unfortunately for her, Renann is just as adamant about keeping her in one piece.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nindra (OC) &amp; Renann (OC)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Taking Care</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the badthingshappenbingo prompt “This is for your own good” and the Hurt/Comfort Bingo prompt “Piercings/Needles.”</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were shiny little things, chiming against one another if Nindra turned her head the right way. </p><p> </p><p>They also hurt worse than getting your finger stuck in the fabric slicer. Not that she'd know from experience or anything. She was much too skilled with such devices to ever make that mistake. </p><p> </p><p>She thought this as she twisted a scar on her finger like it was a ring. </p><p> </p><p>Other than that, she was practically skipping to work, unable to contain the excitement of showing off her newest crest piercings to her coworkers. Or, she would be if she weren't in so much pain. Still, she tried to add a little bounce to her step because if Renann caught her coming to work like this, he'd march her right back home. He already thought it "highly unnecessary" of her to want piercings that ran so close to the vein, so she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of being right.</p><p> </p><p>He could be such a buzzkill sometimes… Most times, actually. So she was lucky she made it to work without his trouble sensors pointing him right to her like a yexep sniffing out prey. </p><p> </p><p>The Textiles Center was one of the bigger buildings off the Sennal Bridge. She stood in its shadow as she approached. It’d been carved into the mountainside, rocks framing its front like hands holding it in place. The small tinkle of her piercings was a nice touch to the rush of the falls behind her.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she cracked open the door, she heard footsteps so brisk but so measured they couldn’t belong to anyone else.</p><p> </p><p>She whipped herself around, briefly wincing. </p><p> </p><p>"Renann!" She waved stiffly, holding herself still. "How's it going?"</p><p> </p><p>He just smiled and squinted at her, slanting himself a bit. Every time he did, she'd turn at just the right angle to avoid his gaze on the back of her crest. Until he practically jumped behind her and she turned so fast the bells clattered against each other and gave her away.</p><p> </p><p>"You got the piercings," he stated in that I'm-not-mad-I'm-just-disappointed voice he did so well.</p><p> </p><p>Her shoulders fell forward. "Fine. Yes, I got the piercings! But they're really cool!" She couldn't resist showing them off, glassy blue triangles with dangling silver bells. "See?"</p><p> </p><p>"You shouldn't be at work." </p><p> </p><p>She frowned. "Come on, at least say something nice…"</p><p> </p><p>"Okay, they suit you really well." She almost caught a smile as he said it, but all hope crumbled when he reminded her, again, that she shouldn't have come in today.</p><p> </p><p>"How did you know?" she asked. She really thought she'd been discrete, but… maybe Renann really <em> was </em> a yexep.</p><p> </p><p>"Jovral told me."</p><p> </p><p>Her jaw dropped. "What a little traitor!" </p><p> </p><p>"He's just looking out for you," said Renann calmly. </p><p> </p><p>"Can't snitch on me if he's dead," she mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>"We're <em> both </em>looking out for you." </p><p> </p><p>"In Valen's name, they're piercings! It's not like I'm bleeding out." </p><p> </p><p>"You sure about that?" he asked, tilting his head once more.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, <em> veskall, </em> " she swore, bringing her hand to the back of her crest. It was wet. She slowly brought her hand forward, sighing at the blue splotches painting her palm. "It's… It's not <em> that </em>bad." </p><p> </p><p>(It was.)</p><p> </p><p>"Nindra."</p><p> </p><p>"Can I at least show the crew?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” he said, hand on his chin, “I don’t think your colleagues will be able to even see them under the blood.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine. “ She sighed, wiping the blood on her robe much to Renann's dismay “Let's go home." </p><p> </p><p>Being Renann, he pretty much always had a first aid kid of sorts on hand; or at least all the bandages and herbs stuffed in various robe pockets could piece one together. (She regretted sewing a custom wardrobe for him.) So he sat her on a bench on the other side of the bridge and cleaned up the piercings. </p><p> </p><p>"Ow!" she whined as he wiped. "Would it kill you to be more gentle?"</p><p> </p><p>She couldn’t see him, but she knew he was smirking. "This wouldn't be happening if you'd stayed home." </p><p> </p><p>"Whatever…"</p><p> </p><p>"Alright, that should hold for now," he said proudly. "Come on, let's get back before you start bleeding again." </p><p> </p><p>"Is Jovral still home?" </p><p> </p><p>"Nope. As soon as he realized I was coming to get you, he ran off. Good luck finding him."</p><p> </p><p>"As soon as he gets himself into trouble, I'm sure you'll be hot on his trail. Then I'll just have to follow you." </p><p> </p><p>"Eh, I'll be looking after you the rest of the day. Unless he causes an explosion or something, you're out of luck."</p><p> </p><p>"Too bad explosives are your job." </p><p> </p><p>He sighed. "It's not <em> just </em> explosives."</p><p> </p><p>"Right, you also work full-time babysitting me." </p><p> </p><p>"Not full-time," he corrected. "Only when you act stupid. But then again..."</p><p> </p><p>"Buzz off." </p><p> </p><p>"Then stop doing dumb things," he teased.</p><p> </p><p>She couldn’t even be offended, all things considered. Though usually Jovral was a pretty good partner in crime, so she figured he was trying to get on Renann’s good side again after the Tiarn Beach Incident. "Who would I be if I didn't?" </p><p> </p><p>"That's a good point… I'd be worried if I <em> didn't </em> have to track you down every other day."</p><p> </p><p>"Someday,” she said as he opened their front door, “I'll behave myself just to mess with you.” </p><p> </p><p>Renann stuck to his word and stayed with her all day. Him being his own boss had that advantage. So instead of doing work like he probably should've been, he lied in bed with her beneath the sunbeams and kept a close watch on her wounds.</p><p> </p><p>It reminded her of when they were little kids at the commune, sleeping beside each other so they wouldn’t be alone. </p><p> </p><p>"You know, I do like them," he said finally. </p><p> </p><p>"Like what?"</p><p> </p><p>"The piercings. They're pretty cool."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh." She smiled, imagining them in her head to try and see what he saw. "Thanks."</p><p> </p><p>"Still shouldn’t have tried to go in to work with them though." </p><p> </p><p>All she could do was groan.</p><p> </p><p>The front door clicked open and she shot up so fast she almost slid to the floor. </p><p> </p><p>"Jovral," she growled. Her crest was throbbing from her quick movement.</p><p> </p><p><em> "No," </em> said Renann in a tone one might use to a misbehaving gok. He put a hand on her arm. "We do not attack Jovral." </p><p> </p><p>She squinted as he came through the front door, visible through the frame leading to her bedroom. As soon as he saw her, he was a blur bolting out the door. </p><p> </p><p>"You'd better run!" she called after him. He disappeared so fast she was surprised he didn't leave his crest, which wrongly marked him as religious caste, behind.</p><p> </p><p>"He's not coming home tonight, is he?" Renann asked. </p><p> </p><p>"I doubt it. He'll probably sleep in the garden." She giggled. "I'm kind of glad I got to stay home with you though. And avoid bleeding all over my work station. So… I'll let him slide."</p><p> </p><p>Renann furrowed his brow. "That's oddly generous."</p><p> </p><p>"But he'll have to figure that out for himself." </p><p> </p><p>"Aaaand there it is."</p><p> </p><p>"What, can you blame me?"</p><p> </p><p>"Let's just get some rest," he said, gently guiding her back against the bed. </p><p> </p><p>She could hardly argue there. </p><p><br/>
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